‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Nears $150 Million, and It’s Not Just Because of Asian Moviegoers

“Crazy Rich Asians” is approaching a big box office milestone after making $8.7 million in its fourth weekend. It’s now on the cusp of $150 million domestic, and that’s thanks both to Asian moviegoers who have championed the film and the general audience that has listened to that praise.

According to data from Movio, the average audience share for Asians sits at 9.1 percent. As one would expect, “Crazy Rich Asians” overperformed with Asian audiences, who made up 25 percent of the film’s opening night audience and 19 percent of the film’s total audience through three weekends.

But as strong as the Asian turnout has been, that alone could not have pushed “CRA” past “Ready Player One” as Warner Bros.’ top domestic release so far this year.

Movio also found that while Hispanic and African-American turnout to see “CRA” was low relative to their national averages — that speaks more to Asians’ intense interest in the film rather than a perceived lack of interest from those demos — Caucasian audiences have been steadily making up a larger share of the film’s audience over successive weeks. Approximately 50 percent of the film’s opening night audience was white — well below that demo’s 56.8 percent average — but grew to 60 percent for the film’s third week.

“While there is no doubt that Asians have outperformed, to me the bigger point is that the public at large has embraced this movie,” wrote Movio President Matthew Liebmann.

“It’s too soon to say whether this is the new normal, but at least in the case of ‘CrazyRichAsians,’ a well-received rom-com (93% Rotten Tomatoes with an 84% audience score) has generated more than $136m by its fourth week not just by tapping into its immediate community but by attracting moviegoers who love this genre regardless of their ethnicity.”

Combined, WB’s three latest releases — “Crazy Rich Asians,” “The Meg” and “The Nun” — have grossed $310.5 million domestic and over $920 million worldwide. The studio has also overtaken Universal for No. 2 on the annual domestic charts with $1.1 billion grossed.

From 'The Cheat' to 'Crazy Rich Asians,' a Brief History of Asian-Americans in Film (Photos)

The widely-lauded romantic comedy "Crazy Rich Asians" is creating buzz for being both great and also the first major studio film since 1993's "Joy Luck Club" to feature a mostly Asian-American cast. The history of Asian-Americans in movies has spanned more than a century, before the inception of color film. Here is a chronological look at films starring Asian-Americans from the past -- and the future.

“The Cheat” (1915) Asian men are rarely painted as sex symbols even in contemporary media, but Japanese-American actor Sessue Hayakawa became a veritable heartthrob, especially after starring in Cecil B. DeMille’s silent thriller, “The Cheat.” Though monumental, his role was that of a predatory antagonist, a typecast that stuck with him during the anti-Japanese sentiments of World War II.

Paramount

“The Toll of The Sea” (1922) Anna May Wong, who was born in Los Angeles to a Chinese-American family, became essentially the first Chinese-American movie star. At the age of 17, she had a leading role as the character of Lotus Flower in one of the first color films made, “The Toll of The Sea,” which was inspired by the play “Madame Butterfly.”

Metro Pictures Corporation

“Daughter of Shanghai” (1937) Anna May Wong starred alongside Korean-American actor Philip Ahn, who played a government agent trying to bust an alien smuggling ring in San Francisco. Ahn later became the first Asian-American to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Paramount

“Sayonara” (1957) Japanese-American actress Miyoshi Umeki starred in “Sayonara” as one-half of a scorned interracial marriage in the midst of the Korean War. Umeki won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role, becoming the first and only Asian-American actress to do so.

Warner Bros.

"Flower Drum Song" (1961) This turducken of a film is a movie adaptation of the musical that was based on the 1957 novel written by Chinese-American author C.Y. Lee. The film was set in San Francisco's Chinatown and the cast was flanked by Japanese-American actor James Shigeta and Chinese-American actress Nancy Kwan.

Universal Pictures

“Enter the Dragon” (1973) Bruce Lee’s most notable film was released six days after his death in 1973. In addition to critical acclaim, the martial arts movie was inducted into the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally significant." Though Lee died young, at the age of 32, he became a symbol of cool strength and surmounting the impossible.

Warner Bros.

“Star Trek: The Motion Picture” (1979) George Takei played Hikaru Sulu aboard the USS Enterprise in the first installment of the “Star Trek” film franchise. The role was reprised by John Cho in the more recent slate of “Star Trek” films.

Paramount

“The Karate Kid” (1984) Even while the titular “Kid” changed throughout the franchise, Mr. Miyagi was the constant. California-born Pat Morita got an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the humble and patient karate master.

Columbia Pictures

“The Joy Luck Club” (1993) The 1993 film based on Amy Tan’s novel is often named these days as an antecedent to “Crazy Rich Asians” -- a big studio film with Asian-American leads. It also featured breakout roles for actresses Ming-Na Wen and Lauren Tom.

Buena Vista

“Mulan” (1998) Mulan was the eighth Disney princess, the second Asian Disney princess, and the first to, well, not technically be a princess. Ming-Na Wen voiced the titular character in the Disney animated film that took place in Han China, while BD Wong voiced General Li Shang. Mulan's sung lines were supplied by Filipina actress, Lea Salonga, who previously lent her voice to the "Aladdin" soundtrack.

Disney

“Charlie’s Angels” (2000) Lucy Liu has had a robust film and television career, from “Ally McBeal” to “Kill Bill” to “Elementary.” One of her first big movie roles was as Alex Munday, an overachieving spy with a diverse skill set, in the 2000 “Charlie’s Angels” film.

Columbia

“Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle” (2004) A modern day stoner comedy starring two Asian-American leads (John Cho and Kal Penn) may seem absurd -- but that’s exactly what this film is. Subverting stereotypes and utilizing humor that didn’t solely rely on race, “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle” told the epic journey of two guys just trying to satisfy their munchies.

Warner Bros.

“The Big Sick” (2017) Kumail Nanjiani both co-wrote and starred in this Oscar-nominated film. Though technically a romantic comedy, Nanjiani exercised more solemn themes in the movie, which explored his Pakistani upbringing and his real-life relationship with his wife Emily V. Gordon.

Lionsgate

“Crazy Rich Asians” (2018) This opulent film marks a watershed moment in Asian-American film history -- a marriage of an older and revered generation of actors such as Michelle Yeoh, as well as an ushering in of new talent which includes Constance Wu and Awkwafina. And like “The Joy Luck Club,” which came before it, both the film’s director and the novel it’s based on are Asian-American as well.

Warner Bros.

“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” (2018) Very rarely do we see a well-rounded love story involving an Asian-American character on screen, and even less so that depict teenagers. In Netflix's new film, "To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before," star Lana Condor (from "X-Men: Apocalypse”) plays Lara, an endearing adolescent who finds her world upended when the letters she’s written to her crushes are mysteriously released.

Netflix

"Mulan" (2020) This Disney animated film is getting the live-action treatment with a cast led by Chinese-American actress Liu Yifei as the titular character, as well as prominent non Asian-American performers Donnie Yen and Jet Li. The film will also feature Asian-American actors Jason Scott Lee and Rosalind Chao, the latter of whom starred in "The Joy Luck Club."

Disney

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Study up ahead of the raved-about rom-com

The widely-lauded romantic comedy "Crazy Rich Asians" is creating buzz for being both great and also the first major studio film since 1993's "Joy Luck Club" to feature a mostly Asian-American cast. The history of Asian-Americans in movies has spanned more than a century, before the inception of color film. Here is a chronological look at films starring Asian-Americans from the past -- and the future.